September 29, 2011 (Park City, Utah) – The inaugural 24 Hour Ski Jumping World Distance Challenge will be taking place this coming weekend, October 1-2, at the Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL, in conjunction with the US Ski Jumping National Championships.

The 24 Hour Ski Jumping World Distance Challenge, sponsored by Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, CA, has been designed to see how far ski jumpers in the USA can jump in one 24 hour period and also to serve as a challenge to other ski jumping nations around the world to see if they can match or beat the USA effort.

Although The Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, IL, will host the event, other jumpers around the country will be participating  “virtually” – taking jumps on their local hills and self-reporting distances to command central at the Norge complex. A live running total will be kept both on site and on-line.

Seventy jumpers have so far registered for the event at Fox River Gorge with another 50 taking part at satellite sites including Lebanon NH, Steamboat Springs, CO, and Park City Utah.

USASJ Executive Director Jeff Hastings said the event has two purposes, to draw attention to the sport and serve as a fundraiser. All jumpers are paying a $25 registration fee and obtaining individual sponsors, with all money raised going to support the development of ski jumping in the USA.

“Ski jumpers in the U.S. are a small and passionate community that is facing challenges. I hope that this event will provide a focal point for us to strengthen the bonds we share and serve as a lightening rod to raise awareness and funds to support the sport in the United States, and beyond”, he said.

Hastings-a 1984 U.S. Olympic ski jumping team member said that he is throwing the challenge out to other nations to take part.

“No group or country has ever tried to set a 24 hour distance mark so the unusualness of the event will hopefully attract other countries to accept the challenge.

Hastings has set a ” flight target” of 1 kilometer per hour; or 24 kilometers for the event (about 15 miles).

“With the enthusiasm shown by the ski jumping community so far there is no reason why this should not become an annual event.”